Machine for knitting non-torque fabric



De 10, 1968 c. R. ANDE'RsoN 3,415,081

MACHINE FOR KNITTING NON-'PORQUE FABRIC Filed nec. 1, 1965 2sheets-sheet@ FIGLB INVENTOR.

CA @ROLL ANDERSON BY www@ Av-TonA/Ens Dec. l0, 1968 c. R. ANDERSON3,415,081

MACHINE FOR KNITTING NON-TORQUE FABRIC Filed. Dec. l, 1965 2Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 8 y

I NVNTOR.` CARROLL R.ANDER1$ON BY MMfJ/j 1 A -r TGR/w: Ys

United States Patent O 3,415,081 MACHINE FOR KNITTING NON-TORQUE FABRICCarroll R. Anderson, Minneapolis, Minn., assignor to Munsingwear, Inc.,Minneapolis, Minn., a corporation of Minnesota Filed Dec. 1, 1965, Ser.No. 510,794 3 Claims. ('Cl. 66--151) ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE Aknitting machine for producing a jersey fabric wherein the takeup reelis rotated in a direction corresponding with the direction of relativerotation between the yarn inputs and the knitting head lbut at a ratedetermined by the amount and direction of twist in the yarn so that thewales in the `finished fabric are skewed slightly to compensate fortorque produced in the fabric by the natural torque of the yarn. Thechange in speed is accomplished by altering the gear ratio between theknitting head and the takelup reel.

This invention pertains to a knitted fabric of single strand yarns ofthe jersey type in which the torque is substantially removed therefromincluding an improved knitting machine for producing such fabric andmore particularly to a knitting machine in which the wales of the fabricproduced therein are skewed relative to the longitudinal axis in adirection and at an angle proportional to the direction and amount oftwist in the yarn making up the fabric.

Knitting yarns constructed of material such as cotton, wool, or thelike, have a twist therein due to the manner in which they areconstructed, which is classified as a Z or an S twist depending upon thedirection of the twist. The amount of this twist may :vary somewhatbetween different types of yarn and different manufacturers. When theyarn is knitted into a fabric in single ply yarn, such as a jerseyfabric or the like, the twist of the various strands of yarn worktogether to produce a torque in the fabric with a magnitudeapproximately equal to one turn of the fabric about its longitudinalaxis per 7 to l1 yards of length. Because of this torque the fabric willnot llie flat and the edges have a tendency to curl and twist, whichmakes the fabric extremely difcult to handle and causes much difcultyduring the use thereof.

In the prior art many ideas have been mechanized to compensate for thetorque in knitted fabric but none of these ideas are very effective. Ingeneral use is a process for treating the fabric to produce a somewhatharder surface so that the fabric will lie flat while a garment is beingproduced therefrom. However, once the garment is washed the treatment issubstantially removed and the garment will not lie fiat or hang straighton the wearer. This is especially noticeable in long garments becausethe bottom of the garment, in some cases, will actually turn as much asone-quarter of a turn relative to the top of the garment.

Another method of compensating for the torque in fabrics is to alternateyarn having a Z twist and yarn having an S twist when the fabric isknitted. In this fashion the S twist in the yarn compensates for the Ztwist in the adjacent yarn and the net torque is substantially zero.However, the overall appearance of this fabric is somewhat distastefulsince adjacent -lengths of yarn in the fabric are not parallel. Also, itis necessary for the operators of the knitting machine to be extremelycareful when they place yarn in the machine, since Z and S twist yarnmust be alternated at the sources, or at least nearly equal amounts mustlbe utilized. Thus, extra time is required in the operation of themachines ice and equal amounts of at least two different types of yarnmust be available at all times. This increases the time and expense ofthe knitting process.

Another method is to use two or more plys of yarn in the same strand,whereby the torque of each strand works against the torque of the otherstrands, tending to neutralize the total torque of the yarn. However,this extra operation of plying the strands adds cost and is thereforegenerally not used in mass production.

In the present invention a standard :sinker-top knitting machine isutilized. In a sinker-top knitting machine a plurality of sources supplyyarn to a plurality of needles in a knitting head. A motor providesrelative rotation between the knitting head and the yarn sources,thereby, providing the knitting action so that a continuous length of`fabric is produced. This continuous length of fabric is rolled onto atakeup reel which is rotated about a horizontal axis at a speedsufficient to maintain the length of fabric taut and at the same timethe takeup reel is rotated about the longitudinal axis of the cloth at alspeed equal to the relative rotation of the knitting head and the yarnsources. Thus, in the standard sinker-top knitting machine the knittedfabric is rolled onto the takeup reel so the wales, or the longitudinalridges produced by a single row of stitches, are substantially parallelto the longitudinal axis of the fabric. In the present invention thestandard sinker-top knitting machine is modified so that the fabric iswound onto the takeup reel with the wales skewed at an angle to thelongitudinal axis of the fabric. The skew of the wales is proportionalto the amount of twist in the yarn making up the fabric so that thefabric wound on the takeup reel is at rest or has substantially notorque therein. Thus, the present device does not compensate for thetorque in. a Ifabric but substantially removes the torque therefrom.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improvedknitting machine.

It is a further object of the present4 invention to provide a knittingmachine which produces a knitted fabric ha-ving substantially no torquetherein.

It is a further object of the present. invention to provide a fabrichaving substantially no torque therein.

It is a further object of the present. invention to provide a fabricwhich when made into a garment will not twist or turn.

These and other objects of this invention will become apparent to thoseskilled in the art upon consideration of the accompanyingl specication,claims and drawings.

Referring to the drawings, wherein like characters indicate like partsthroughout the figures.

FIG. 1 is a view in perspective of a sinker-top knitting machine withthe present modication incorporated there- 1n;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view as seen from the line 2-2 in FIG. 1, partsthereof shown in elevation;

FIG. 3 is a detailed view in perspective of the apparatus making up thetakeup reel rotating means;

FIG. 4 illustrates a portion of jersey fabric having torque therein; and

FIG. 5 illustrates a portion of jersey fabric which is substantially atrest, or has no torque therein.

A revolving cylinder circular knitting Imachine is generally designated10 and illustrated in FIG. 1. This type of knitting machine is generallyreferred to as a sinkertop knitting machine which is commerciallyavailable and, therefore, will not be described in detail. Knittingmachines of this type have a knitting head 11 which comprises aplurality of knitting head segments 12 arranged in a circular ring and arotating cylinder, containing a plurality of knitting needles (notshown), which are operated by stationary cams mounted in the knittinghead segments. A plurality of knitting yarn inputs 13 have yarn thereinwhich is fed to the `knitting machine from a plurality of spools of yarn(not shown) mounted above the |machine 10. The yarn in each yarn input13 is fed from its spool through a tension guide .14 and a yarn guide 15to one of the segments 12 of the knitting head 11. The knitting head 11knits the yarns into a tube or cylinder of knitted fabric 16, which isfed to the bottom of the knitting machine 10 and gathered on a takeupreel 17, illustrated in FIG. l with some fabric rolled thereon. Asuitable drive means 18 mounted on a frame 19 drives the knittingmachine 10 through a series of gears illustrated in FIG. 2.

In FIG. 2 the drive means 18 is mechanically connected to a sprocketwheel 20 by a link chain 21. Wheel 20 is xedly attached to a horizontalshaft by a hub 23. Shaft 22 has a'plurality of reducing gears (notshown) situated in a gear reduction box 24 which reduce the speed of theinput shaft 22 down to a desirable value at an output or pinion gear 25.The pinion gear 25 is meshed with a face gear 26 having cogs in thelower face thereof and xedly attached to the lower surface of a ring 27which is concentric with the knitting head ,11 and operatively attachedthereto. A second ring 28 is mounted concentric with the ring 27 andadjacent the outer edge thereof. The ring 28 is xedly mounted on theframe 19 by means not shown for clarity in the figures. A plurality ofrods 29 help support the upper structure, including guides 14 and 15,and maintain it concentric.

Power is transferred from the horizontal shaft 22 to a vertical shaft 30by means of gears (not shown) in the gear box 24. The shaft 30 extendsdownwardly from the gear box 24 and has a drive gear 31 xedly attachedthereto. Below the drive gear 31, adjacent the lower end of the shaft30, is a concentrically mounted hollow shaft 32. The shaft 32 and theshaft 30 are mounted so that the shaft 30 rotates freely within theshaft 32. A driven gear 33 is xedly mounted at the upper end of theshaft 32 adjacent the drive gear 31 and in a parallel plane. A pair ofidler'gears 34 and 35 are xedly mounted on a shaft 39 which is in turnrotatably mounted parallel with and spaced apart from the shaft 32 sothe idler gears 34 and 35 mesh with the drive gear 31 and the drivengear 33 respectively. Thus, as the shaft 30 turns the drive gear 31turns and causes the gear 33 and the shaft 32 to turn through the idlergears 34 and 35.

Fixedly attached to the lower end of the shaft 32 is a pinion gear 36which is meshed with a gear wheel 37. Gear wheel 37 is rotatably mountedin the frame 19 of the knitting machine 10 in a horizontal positionsubstantially concentric `with the cylinder of knitted fabric 16 andhaving an opening therethrough for the passage of the fabric. Fixedlyattached to the underside of the gear wheel 37 in a substantiallyvertical and parallel relationship are a pair of rectangular shapedsupports 38. The takeup reel 17 is rotatably mounted between thesupports for rotation about a substantially horizontal axis. Means notshown rotate the takeup reel 17 about the horizontal axis at asufficient speed to maintain the cylinder of knitted fabric 16 taut andthe entire assembly is rotatably driven by the pinion gear 36 about thelongitudinal axis of the cylinder of knitted fabric 16 or, in thisembodiment, about a substantially vertical axis.

The entire gear assembly is enclosed in a housing 40 having openingstherein for the meshing of pinion gear 25 and face gear 26 and piniongear 36 and gear wheel 37. A lower portion 41 of the housing 40 isquickly removable so that the speed of the pinion gear 36 relative tothe shaft 30 may -be easily varied. Such variations in speed areaccomplished by changing the ratios of gears 31, 33, 34 and 35 in anumber of ways well known to those skilled in the art. In this fashionthe Speed of rotation of the takeup reel 17 about the vertical axisrelative to the knitting head 11 can be easily and quickly changed.

Although a single drive means 18 is illustrated in this embodiment itshould be understood that a drive means might be utilized to rotate theknitting head 11 and a separate drive means might be utilized to rotatethe takeup reel 17 about the vertical axis at varying speeds. It shouldalso be understood that various methods might be utilized to operativelyconnect the drive means 18 to the `knitting head 11 and the takeup reel17 to attain the desired relative speeds. In some knitting machines ofthe type described the knitting head 1.1 and the takeup reel 17 arestationary while yarn inputs 13 are rotated `along with the cams whichproduce the knitting action in the needles. In this type of machine aseparate drive means is utilized to drive the takeup reels 17 at thedesired speed with respect to the relative rotation between the knittinghead 11 and the yarn inputs 13.

In FIG. 4 a portion of knitted fabric is illustrated having wales 45extending approximately parallel to the longitudinal axis thereof.Fabric of this type is produced when the takeup reel 17 is rotated aboutthe vertical axis at the same speed as the knitting head 11. The portionof knitted cloth illustrated in FIG. 4 has torque thereon which tends tocause the material to turn or twist about the longitudinal axisapproximately one complete turn per 7 to ll yards of fabric. In FIG. 5 aportion of fabric is illustrated with the wales 46 skewed at an angle tothe longitudinal axis thereof. Fabric of this type is produced when thetakeup reel 17 is rotated -about the vertical axis slightly faster thanthe knitting head 11 as disclosed in this specification. The portion offabric illustrated in FIG. 5 is substantially at rest. That is, thisfabric has substantially no torque herein. The yarn utilized to producethe fabric in FIG. 5 has a Z type twist and it should .be noted that thewales in a fabric produced from yarn having an S type twist would beskewed in the opposite direction at an angle proportional to the amountof twist in the yarn. Also, when the knitting head 11 rotates clockwisewith respect to the yarn inputs 13, viewing FIG. 1 from the top, thetakeup reel 17 must rotate in the same direction but slightly faster forZ twist yarns and slightly slower for S twist yarns. When the knittinghead 11 rotates counterclockwise, viewing FIG. 1 from the top, thetakeup reel 17 must rotate slightly slower for Z twist yarns andslightly faster for S twist yarns. In this fashion the torque is removedfrom the fabric during the knitting process with no extra operationsrequired.

Thus, I have disclosed a jersey type knitted fabric having substantiallyno torque therein and apparatus for producing the same. Because thedisclosed apparatus removes the torque rather than compensating for it,the fabric will always remain at rest and will not twist or turn evenlafter numerous washings. Also, the present apparatus for removing thetorque from the knitted fabric is 4relatively inexpensive and does notrequire additional operator time or material.

While I have shown and described a :specific embodiment of thisinvention, `further lmodifications and improvements will occur to thoseskilled in the art. I desire it to be understood, therefore, that thisinvention is not limited to the particular form shown and I intend inthe appended claims to cover all modifications which do not depart fromthe spirit and scope of this invention.

What is claimed is:

1. An improvement in a knitting machine for producing a jersey fabrichaving substantially no torque therein comprising:

(a) at least a knitting yarn input adapted to have yarn with a twisttherein applied thereto;

(b) a knitting head having a plurality of knitting needles operativelyengaged therein;

(c) drive means operatively attached to provide relative rotationbetween said input and said knitting head for producing knitting actionthrough said needles to form yarn into a continuous length of jerseyfabric;

(d) takeup means for winding said fabric onto a roll;

and

(e) means for rotating said takeup means about an axis substantiallyparallel to the longitudinal axis of the fabric, in a directioncorresponding with the direction of relative rotation between said inputand said head, and at a rate determined by the amount and direction oftwist in the yarn, whereby the fabric is rolled onto said takeup meanswith the wales therein skewed slightly so there is substantially notorque in the fabric.

2. An improvement in a knitting machine substantially as set forth inclaim 1 wherein the means for rotating the takeup means includesapparatus connecting said takeup means to the drive means.

3. An improvement in a knitting machine substantially as set forth inclaim 1 wherein the takeup means is rotated in the same direction as therelative rotation of the head with respect to the yarn input and themeans for rotating the takeup means is convertible to rotate said takeupmeans somewhat faster than the relative rotation between the input andthe head when the relative rotation between the input and the head whenthe relative rotation is in the direction of the twist in the yarn andsomewhat slower when the relative rotation is in the 0pposite directionof the twist.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 463,788 ll/189l Hose et al.66-151 2,364,560 12/1944 Stover. 2,578,889 12/ 1951 Kennedy. 2,994,2148/1961 Wood et al. 66-202 XR 3,125,848 3/1964 Baebler.

FOREIGN PATENTS 336,861 10/193() Great Britain.

W. C. REYNOLDS, Prm'ary Examiner.

